Sign element and method of constructing the same



7, 1935. E. K. MADAN 2,012,614

SIGN ELEMENT AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING THE SAME Filed July 11, 1954INVENTOR fan/44a /K A4404 ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 27, 1935 umrEoffsTArssPATIENT Jme:

2,012,614 I h I SIGN ELEMENT ANDMETHOD 0F 1 CONSTRUCTING THE SAME VEdward K. 'Madan,Maplewood, N. J., assignor to- Samuel Slut sky, NewYork, NY. 'j Applicatio'n July '11, 1934,'Ser ialNo. 734,581 a 1i;Claims; (01. 409125) This invention relates to the, production of signsand various other types of displays for use in display or advertisingpurposes "and'to take the place'of conventionalilluminated signs andparticularly such signs known as the neon signs; and theobject of .theinvention is to provide a sign element which is composed; of celluloidor other translucent material of any desired color or combinations ofcolors, :and amounting member cut to conform with the outline of thesign element and to receivesuch sign element, the mounting member beingof an opaque material whereby an artificial or other light disposed uponthe rear face of the mounting member will illuminate; that part, of thesign element or ele-' ments arranged thereon to give the effect of aneon or similar sign; a furtherobjectbeing to provide each sign elementwith an, extending flange or body portion providing means'for securingthe opaque mounting orbackground in connection 'therewith'or, to receiveopaque members within the boundaries of the sign element; and with theseand other objects in view, the in- 'vention consists in a sign of theclass;and;for

the purpose specified, which is made in accordance with the methodherein more fully described and claimed. it i The 'invention is fullydisclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanyingdrawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of the improvement aredesignated by suitable reference characters in each which: V

Fig. 1 is a face view of a mounting member showing one signelementcoupled therewith with part of the construction broken away. iFig. 2 is a partial section on the line"2-2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a detail View of a mounting memt n;

dicating the step of a sign element.

Fig. 4 is a view showing a number of signelements arranged on a mountingmember; and, f I

Fig.5 is aface view of a part of a frame showing a number of signelements arranged therein.

For the purpose of illustrating-a simple method of carrying my inventioninto-effect, I haveshown oneor more sign elements made according to myinvention in the form of the letters of the alphabet, butit will beunderstood at thisltim'e that cutting the same to receive 'my inventionis not limited to sign elements of any particular shape or contour norinthe use of any particular number of'such 'elementson or in connectionwith a' suitable mounting member. In theconstruc'tion shown'in Figs. -1'and 2,

of the views, and in.

I have indicatedat' Ill a mounting member which is in the 'form of ahea'vysheet of canvas orother fibrousmaterial colored to give first a'nopaque appearance and secondly, a desired colored background suitablefor and consistent with the com plete display in 'thes'ign to beproduced; I Y In Fig. 3 of the drawing,"I have shown the method ofshaping the mounting Rmember It by. die-or otherwise cuttingthe letter Bof the alphabet therefrom-along the dotted'lines indicated at H, formingthe peripheral contounof the letter Band along the lines 'I la to formthe inner field pieces l2 of the letter} The cut line lliforms anopening llb in the member ID of the peripheral contour of the letterB.At I3, I have shown the letterB formed from a sheet of celluloid orsimilar semi-flexible material, the sheet being pressed outwardly toform a large beadedoutline Mof said letterwith recesses I5 thereinclosed: by the wall portions a upon which the field pieces I 2 aresecured to render the recesses l5 opaque in the resultant sign. IExtending from the peripheral walls of the beaded portions and inalinement with the walls l5a are outwardly projecting flanges it whichoverlie and rest upon the rearface of the mount ingmember ID andto whichthe mounting memsecured in position by a suitable adhesiveJfTheperipheral edges of'the flanges l6 are parallel or substantiallyparallel to the edge of the sign ele ment proper, thus maintaining'thecontour of the element as viewed from 'the rear of' the mounting I amember.

The outwardly pressed 'beaded portions i l of I 'the'sign element givethe representationiof a tube upon the outer surface of the mountingmember,

7 and in the use of the sign element; thep-lacement or a lightrearwardly of the mounting member it will operateto illuminate thebeaded portions 14 'of the sign element to produce a very attractivesign or display, and one which willrepresent or imitate the conventionalneon signs; it being understood that the translucent sign element may beof any desired color and the color may be solid through the element,--or in constructing-the sign elementfrom celluloid or other sheets-ofvarie elements may be of contrasting colors to give con trastingornamental eifects on the complete sign or display. I p

In this connection, the element l3a in Fig. 4 mounted in connection witha backing We may be red in color whereas the sign element l3b,

namely, the letter A of the alphabet may be blue; 7 green, yellow oranother color contrasting tpjthat' of the color employed in the letterB,,,,Fig. 4'rep-j resents a partial view of what may be a continuoussign having any number of letters to spell'fout a word or anumber ofwords and the entire sign' may be contained in a suitable casing'havingai source of light supply for purposes of, illumination. In Fig. 5of the drawing,,I have indicated at H thebutlineof a frame, but in thisframe the same is subdivided by partition strips {lainto a series ofdisplay openings lib, He, in which separate backings lob, 100 arearranged. The strips l'laserve to cover the abutting side edges of thebackings Hib, 100 to form a neat and finished appearance on the frontfacefof the sign. In this construction, each backing Mb, I00 has a signelement (30,1341, which in the construction shown are the letters B andArespectively.

, With this typeof construction, an interchangeable sign may be made,such for example as the signs of theatres where the head lines oradvertis ingsubject is changed from time to time. With this type ofconstruction, by having an adequate supply of the respective letters ofthe alphabet, the signs may be readily changed from time to time.

tional manner, thelatter being; preferable inmost cases, anditisimportant that :the size, of the boundary wall of theopeningformedtherein be equal to or possibly slightly lessthantheboundary of'the display element so that said'element will fit snuglytherein, thus producingsharp and clean cut boundary edges to, the,displayelements when in connection with the backing member.

In using sheetspf relatively rigid material as mounting .memberspsuchforexample as card board, sheet metal and the like, thebpenings formedtherein will be made tofreely receivethe signelements;

My improved device lends itself for use in con nection with thexskirt orfiangeportions of canopies or awnings, the lettering or other advertis,'ing matter'bein'g visiblein the day time as with other sign elements,and being illuminated at night by the reflection of light from a storewindow or the'like,

While I am aware of the factthat celluloid has beenprod-uced for theproduction of illuminated signs by reason of the-translucency ofthematerial,-the distinctive'feature of my invention resides in preformingarmount-ingrnember tothe contour of a display element formedfrom;celluloid or, other material, and to so .shape the dis- .playelement-as to adap'tits mounting miconnection with the cut 1011,17portiongof, the-mounting member to provide in the resulting product asubstantially unitary construction which will adapt itself to themanufacture of very economical signs and displays having unlimited uses.

While the letters of the alphabet alone are indicated for illustrativepurposes, my invention is not limited in this respect as sign elementsof any shape, form or contour may be employed to produce various typesand kinds of displays or advertising members, and various changes in andmodifications of the construction herein described may be made withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit ofmyinvention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I fclain ias new desire tosecure by Letters Patentfis': l

1. Afflat flexible sign comprising an opaque sheetofflexible fabricprovided with spaced apart cut-'out'o'p'enings, each forming a letterand the letter-forming openings coacting to form a word, a. pluralitylofseparate independent coverings, one for each cut-out opening, eachcovering comprising'an integral, semi-flexible celluloid character ofrelatively light weight, havingan att ch: ing flange outlining the sameand secured to the rear side of the'fabric'sheet about its respectiveopening and having a thin, translucent, character-forming,'hollow,half-tube portion projecting from the plane of the securingflange,fitting in its associated cut-out opening and projecting forwardlybeyond the front side of the fabric sheet, said sign having a relativelyhigh degree of flexibility in the portions thereof between thecharacters and being semi-flexible in the portions formed bythecharacters and the word formed by the] characters being visible fromthe front side of the sign and at'a sharp angle-to the plane of the signboth by light reflected from the front side of the'characters and bylight transmitted through the sides of the translucent, hollow, halftubeportions which project through the flexible fabric;

2. A flexible sign comprising a sheet of canvas pressed, letter formingcharacter of flexible sheet celluloid with a portion thereof beingtranslucent, U-shapedin cross section and projecting through *itsassociated opening, so as to be visible from the outer side of the sign,and the portions of the canvas between the coverings being flexible toform hinge joints between the word characters.

. 3. A sign comprising a sheet of canvas provided with an opening havinga predetermined contour,

' an element, for covering said opening comprising an integral,semi-flexible 'member of relatively light weight, said member having anattaching portion secured to the canvas sheet, about its opening andhaving a hollow portion projecting from the plane of the attachingportion, and of a contour corresponding approximately to that of theopening, said hollow portion registering with said opening andprojecting beyond one side of the canvas; sheet. 7 I

. 4, A sign comprising a body of semi-flexible fibrous material providedwith an opening having a predetermined contour, an element for cover-,ing said opening comprising a semi-flexible sheet fashioned to ,form ahollow portion conforming substantially with the contour of the openingin saidbodwsaid element having-attachmg portions at the periphery of thehollow portion, and means 1 securing the attaching portions of saidelemen to said body about the opening therein.

5. A sign comprising a mounting body'of semiflexible material providedwith an opening having a predetermined contour, an element for saidopening comprising a semi-flexible sheet fashioned to form a hollowportion substantially conforming with the contour of the opening in saidbody, said element having attaching portions arranged upon said bodyabout the opening therein, and said attaching portions being secured tosaid body by an adhesive and under applied heat and pressure.

6. A non-rigid sign including a relatively opaque flexible mountingmember, a semi-flexible symbol forming unit having a hollow symbolelement of translucent material projecting from the plane of said unit,said mounting member having an opening substantially corresponding incontour to the hollow symbol element of saidunit and registeringtherewith, with said member bordering the boundaryedges of the symbolelement, and that part of said unit extending from the boundary edges ofthe symbol element extending onto j '8. An article of manufacture of theclass de-,

scribed, comprising a mounting member of flexible material, a signelement composed of a sheet of semi-flexible material fashioned withinboundary edges thereof to form an offset hollow symbol projecting to'oneside of said sheet, said mounting member having a cut-out openingconforming and registering wtih the hollow symbol of said 5 element,means including a material set in the presence of heat securing theboundary edges of said element to adjacent portions of said mountingmember about the periphery of said symbol, and said signeleme'nt'including field pieces disposed inwardly of the boundariesthereof and of the same material as that of said mounting member.

class described, which consists in cutting from 9. The method of.manufacturing signs of the v asheet of fibrous material formingthemounting member of a sign an opening conforming with the contour of,a predetermined sign "symbol,- 1 shaping a sheet of semi-flexiblematerial within the boundary edges thereof to form on one surfacethereof aprojecting symbol of a contour, similar to that of the contourof the opening in said member, arranging said sheet upon said member toregister the symbol with said opening with the boundaryv edgesarranged'upon the member bordering said opening, and then securing theedges of the sheet and 'member together by an adhesive and under appliedheat and pressure.

, 10. The method of manufacturing signs-of the class described whichconsists inv forming in a sheet of fibrous material constituting themounting member of a sign, an opening conforming with the contour of apredetermined sign symbol, shaping a sheet of semi-flexible materialwithin the-boundary edges thereof to form on one surface thereof aprojecting symbol ofv a contour substantially similar to that of thecontour of the opening in said member and with depressed portions withinthe boundaries of said symbol, arranging said sheet upon said member toregister the symbol with said opening with the boundary edges arrangedupon the member bordering said opening, securing the edges of the sheetand member together by an adhesive and under applied heat and pressure,cuttingfrom the mounting member'field pieces conforming with the outlineof said, depressed portions and arranging said field pieces in andsecuring thesame to said depressed portions. I

11. A sign comprisingan opaque sheet of flexible' fabric provided withspaced apart cut-out openings, each having a predetermined contour,

a plurality of separate'elements, one for each.

opening, each element comprising anintegral,

semi-flexible celluloid member of relatively light- 7 weight, saidmember having an attaching flange outlining the same and secured to therear side of the fabric sheet about its respective-opening.

and having a thin, translucent, hollow portion projecting from the,plane of the securing flange and of a contour corresponding to that ofits respective opening, said portion snuglylfittingin said opening andprojecting forwardly beyond the front side of the fabric sheet. i

EDWARD K. MADAN.

